Device for opening or closing elevator-doors.



' PATENI'ED" 001?. 6, 1903'.

H M. JENKINS. I DEVICE; FOR OPENING OR GLOSING ELEVATOR DOORS.

.4 PPLIGATION FILED FEB; 6. 1903.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented October 6, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD M. JENKINS, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,569, dated October6,1903. Application filed February 6, 1903. Serial No. 142,111. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD M. JENKINS, of the city of Allegheny, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newanduseful Improvement in Devices for Opening or Closing Elevator-Doors, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating myinvention. Fig. 2 is a front view illustrating my invention. Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view onthe line III III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is anenlarged view of a portion of the gate, showing the supports; and Fig. 5is a detached view of the dog with which the clutch engages when thedoor is opened or closed.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to devices for opening and closing the doors ofelevators and other similar doors; and it consists in a traveling arm orsaddle provided with a clutch adapted to engage with the door, a motorfor driving the arm, and devices for connecting and releasing theclutch, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

I will now describe my invention so that others skilled in the art maymanufacture and use the same.

In the drawings, 2 represents the top of the elevator-car, secured towhich is a bar 3, in the side of which is a groove 1, which groove atits middle portion is divided into two partsan upper and a lowergroove-by a partition 5. This partition may be formed of a number ofseparable blocks secured to the bar 3 by belts or screws, so that byusing a greater or less number of blocksthe length of the partition maybe increased or lessened.

or away from the other end of the bar 3,

vided with L-shaped flanges adapted to inclose the upper and lowerportions of the bar 3, and on the inner face of this saddle 11 is aroller 12, which is adapted to travel in the slot 1. This roller 12 ismounted in a vertically moving slide, as is hereinafter explained.Secured to the upper portion of the saddle is a longitudinal rack 13,which meshes with a pinion 14 on the drive-shaft 15. At the other end ofthe drive-shaft 15 is a drive-wheel16, which may be connected with themotor 17 by a belt or other suitable connecting device 18. Secured tothe outer face of the saddle 11 are flanges 19, which form a verticalslideway, and mounted or fitting in this slideway is a movable slide 20,which is provided on its outer face witha rack'21 and on its in her faceis provided with a stud, which carries the roller 12, and at this pointthe saddle 11 is cut away, so as to allow of the vertical movement ofthe roller 12 asthe slide is caused to move up or down in the slide way.Pivoted to brackets on the slideway 19' is a toothed clutch 22, which isprovided oh its inner end with a'toothed sector 23,

which meshes with the rack 21 in such a man-' nor that when the slide 20is caused to move up or down the rack 21 will impart a movement to thetoothed clutch 22. On the inner face of the rack 13 are two lugs 24. and25, which are adapted to engage and move the arm'26 of the electricswitch 27. This switch 27 is a cut-out and reversing switch adapted tobe operated by the movement of the rack 13, and it is connected bysuitable circuits 28 with the motor 17 and switch 29, which switchserves to start the motor in either direction ,according to the positionof the switcharm 26. Secured to the upper part of the elevator-door 30is a bracket 31, and in this bracket is pivoted a dog 32, with which theclutch 22 is adapted to engage. This dog is fitted with a bell-cranklever 33, at the outer end of which is an oblong slot through whichpassesa pin 34., which extends from one side of the lever 33 and acts asa locking-bolt for the elevator-door. This pin 34 also extends on theother side of the lever 33 into a hole 35 in the bracket 31, and it issurrounded with a spring 36, which bears on one side against the innerface of the bracket and on the other'against a collar 37, which isformed on or keyed to the pin.

The operation of these devices is as follows: In the drawings theelevator-door 30 is shown in an open position, the saddle 11 hav ingnearly completed its line of travel on the track 3. When the door isclosed, the saddle 11 is at the other end of the bar 3 and the slide 20is in its lowered position, the roller 12 occupying the lower portion ofthe groove 4.. When the car 2 comes opposite the elevator-door and it isdesired to open the same, the operator closes the switch 29, whichstarts the motor 17 and by the revolution of the pinion 14 causes therack 13 and the saddle 11 to travel, the roller 12 moving in the groove4. When the roller 12 reaches the pivoted incline 7, it ascends the sameto the upper face of the partition 5, which raises the slide 20 in theslideway 19, and the rack 21, acting on the toothed sector 23, lowersthe toothed clutch 22, causing its teeth to engage with the pivoted dog32 on the elevator-door 30. The further movement of the saddle andclutch pressing on the dog 32 operates the bell-crank lever 33 andwithdraws the pin 34. from the track 39, on which the elevator-doortravels, thus releasing the door and allowing it to move on its supportor track 39 with the movement of the clutch 22 until the lug 24 on theinner face of the rack 13 engages with the switch-arm 26 and so movesthis arm as to break the current and reverse the circuit, therebystopping the motor 17 and the further movement of the door. The doorhaving been opened in the manner described, when it is desired to closethe same the switch 29 is reversed, which closes the reverse circuit ofthe motor, and as thiscircuit has been closed at the other end throughthe switch 27, as already described, the motor starts in the oppositedirection and imparts a reverse movement to the saddle 11 through therack 13. When the roller 12 reaches the pivoted incline 9, the roller iscarried thereby down the incline 8 into the lower part of the groove at,which causes the slide 20 to move downwardly in the slideways 19, and bythe action of the rack 21 the toothed sector 23 raises the clutch 22,releasing it from the dog 32, which allows the elevator-door 30 to closeitself by the momentum which has been imparted to it. As already stated,the

position of the pivoted incline 9 may be adjusted so that this releaseshall take place at a point where the door has been carried sufficientlyfar to close itself through its own momentum. After the door has beenreleased in the manner described the rack 13 and saddle 11 continuetheir movement until they pass under the pivoted incline 7 to the pointin the groove 4: from which they started. Just before reaching thispoint the lug 25 on the rack 13 strikes the arm 26 of the switch 27,breaks the reverse circuit, and connects the primary circuit so thatwhen the switch 29 is again moved the motor shall be started in theopposite direction. When the clutch 22 is released from the dog 32, theforce of the spring 36 is free to act on the pin 34 and to cause it toenter its recess when the door reaches the end of its travel, therebylocking the door. It will be noticed that as this look is operated bythe clutch 22 the door can be opened and closed onlyat a time when thecar is opposite the door.

Although I have described and shown an electric motor for operating myimproved devices, I do not desire to limit myself to the same .as hydraulic,pneu matic, steam, or other motors may be employed in lieuthereof.

The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is

1. In devices for opening and closing doors, the combination of atraveler provided with a clutch adapted to engage the door, mechanismfor driving the traveler, and devices for connecting and releasing theclutch; substantially as described.

2. In devices for opening and closing elevator-doors, the combination ofa traveler mounted upon the top of the elevator-car, said traveler beingprovided with a clutch adapted to engage with the door, mechanism foroperating the traveler, and devices. for connecting and releasing theclutch; substantially as described.

3. In devices for opening and closing elevator-doors, the combination ofa slotted bar mounted upon the top of the elevator-car, a

rack adapted to travel on the bar, a pinion meshing with the rack andconnected with power mechanism, a pivoted clutch mounted upon thetraveler and adapted to engage with the door, mechanism for driving thetraveler, and devices for engaging and releasing the clutch from thedoor; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HOWARD M. JENKINS. \Vitnesses:

A. M. STEEN, JAMES K. BAKEWELL.

